Bears, Matt Forte talking as deadline nears for long-term deal

Matt Forte wasn’t exactly in his comfort zone. Not when every interview he did Friday was interrupted by Hall of Famers such as Jerry Rice and Michael Irvin yelling, “Pay the man!’’ in the background. Forte hopes someone in the Bears’ organization heard them. “We’ve been talking,” the running back said about his contract situation. “That’s a good thing, and we’ll continue to talk. So that’s good news that we’re still talking. That’s about it.” Those aren’t exactly encouraging words, but Forte said progress has been made since last year, even a few months ago. “Last year we were worlds …